SAN ANTONIO — The caller to my voice mail had a question we've heard before. It's one of those that has a short answer — or an answer that could fill a book.
What he wanted to know was, what is the difference between blue cheese and Roquefort cheese.
The short answer: Roquefort cheese, one of the more famous cheeses in the world, only can come from limestone caves, the caves of Cambalou, near the French town of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon.
This pungent cheese is made from sheep's milk; the characteristic blue veining is caused by the mold Penicillium roqueforti.
The mold is grown from loaves of bread, made from rye grown in a nearby town, that are set aside to rot. "The moist bread in the interior becomes host to the essential mold spores," says expert cheesemonger Steven Jenkins in his comprehensive and opinionated "Cheese Primer."
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No other blue cheese can call itself "Roquefort."
But there are hundreds of other blue cheeses, some made from sheep's milk, some from goats' or cows' milk. They range from England's famous Stilton and Spain's powerful Cabrales, to Iowa's Maytag Blue and the Pur Chèvre Bleu from Illinois.
It may come as a surprise that Jenkins doesn't recommend using Roquefort to make Roquefort dressing. "The deep, full, spicy, round flavor of Roquefort is denigrated when used in this way. It deserves solo billing alongside a salad; then both tastes are elevated, rather than diminished," Jenkins says.
What does he recommend for a blue cheese dressing? Any good blue cheese — at half or a third the price of the Roquefort.
For another reason, I'd suggest using these pungent, creamy cheeses as diet food.
It's true that Roquefort, for example, has 104 calories per ounce. But because it is so packed with flavor, a little bit goes a long way. Add a spoonful or two of one of these ultra-flavorful cheeses crumbled into a salad, folded into a stuffing for tomatoes or onions, or melted atop a crouton for soup.
Here are a few more tips:
● Pâté: Mash Stilton or another blue cheese with half its weight of butter, a little milk, a pinch of mace or nutmeg and a few drops of dry sherry to a smooth paste. Press into individual pots, chill well and serve with slices of baguette.
● Avocado starter: Mix Cashel Blue, Stilton or another blue cheese with a little mayonnaise, then stir into a mixture of chopped walnuts, pear and seedless red grapes. Then, scoop into a peeled, halved avocado and serve as a starter salad.
● Rarebit canapes: Blend Stilton or another blue cheese with the same amount of grated Cheddar and some crumbled bacon. Spread on sliced toast fingers and broil until they are just beginning to bubble.